To Tokyo
by Sailor Ryoko1
Summary: Tenchi chooses, but did he make the right choice? Ayeka commits suicide?
1. Tenchi Chooses

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi Muyo or any of the characters.  
  
It fell slowly from the sky, twirling and dancing in the wind, without a care in the world. It moved gracefully, almost mechanically until it hit the surface which caused it to explode into thousands of tiny fragments. Ryoko wiped her nose and looked up at the sky.  
  
"It's starting to snow." She informed the group she was walking with. No one spoke again until they had reached their destination, the Masaki house. Upon entering the house and removing their shoes, each member of that group took off on their separate ways. Ayeka ascended the stairs to her bedroom, Ryoko to her rafter, Sasami to the kitchen, Ryo-ohki propped on her head in cabbit form, Mihoshi to the television; and Washu to her lab. They all had quite a bit of thinking to do after the meeting Washu had called them to, out in the forest in the cold, windy Okayama weather.  
  
"It will happen soon." Washu had started the meeting out by saying this statement. Most of the girls had understood what she was referring to, minus the bubbleheaded, blonde Galaxy Police officer. "Tenchi will make his decision by the end of this week..." She paused for a moment, looking at Ryoko and then Ayeka. "One of you will be deeply hurt, but I pray you don't do anything stupid to hurt yourself or Tenchi. That would include killing the person Tenchi chooses." The petite scientist looked at the cyan haired demoness. Ryoko scoffed and folded her arms, after all, it's not like SHE wasn't going to be chosen.  
  
Sitting up on her rafter now, Ryoko had wondered what she'd do if, in fact, Tenchi didn't choose her. She felt her heart collapse, the pain was unbearable and her eyes began to tear up. Quickly thinking of other things to take the pain away, Ryoko regained her composure. She laughed a bit uneasily, wiping the sweat that had formed on her brow away. "Thank Kami-sama I have nothing to worry about..." She floated up to the roof and disappeared through the ceiling.  
  
***  
  
Ayeka slowly brought the brush through her long tresses of hair, studying herself intently in the mirror. There wasn't a thing wrong with her, she had beautiful eyes, skin, hair, family...she knew that she would be the one Tenchi would choose. A grin crept to her soft lips as her eyes lit up at the thought of having Tenchi all to herself, finally making this trip to Earth a trip that wasn't wasted. She could almost picture the moment when Tenchi confessed his love to her, Prince and Princess, living happily ever after. It was all the young Princess had dreamed of all her life. They could move back to Jurai and start a family, Ayeka had already begun to imagine what their children would look like. She blushed as she realized she was becoming too serious with the matter, and she shook her head. There would be plenty of time to plan after Tenchi made his decision, they would have all the time in the world. Putting the brush down, Ayeka stood up and made her way out of her room, closing the door quietly behind her.  
  
***  
  
Setting some vegetables on the kitchen counter, Tenchi looked at Sasami and smiled. For such a young girl, she sure was more responsible than any other in the household. Sasami smiled back, Ryo-ohki still on her head. Sasami knew she wouldn't be chosen to be Tenchi's bride, even though she was older than she looked, she was still a child to Tenchi...a sister to him. Sasami could handle that, she loved Tenchi more like a brother than anything and just hoped he would choose right between Ryoko and Ayeka.  
  
"Need any help with cooking?" Tenchi interupted her thoughts. Sasami shook her head quickly.  
  
"That's ok, Tenchi-niichan." She looked up at him. "It should be done shortly, thank you anyway!"  
  
"No problem." Tenchi waved his hand and turned to leave the kitchen. "I'll just go make myself useful elsewhere." He smiled over his shoulder as he exited the room. Upon looking around and seeing nothing to do, he walked to the window. Snow fell lightly to the ground, disappearing upon impact. Tenchi watched for a moment before putting his jacket and shoes on and leaving the house. The wind immediately froze his nose the moment he opened the door. The temperature had certainly dropped from the time he got the vegetables out of the shed to the present.  
  
He looked around casually as he walked. Soon the whole grounds would be covered in the cold white substance, creating more work for him to do. He decided to enjoy it while he could, it had been a while since he'd been able to see snow without becoming depressed. Tenchi turned to face the house, sensing that he was not alone. He smiled slightly as he saw Ryoko slide off the roof and slowly make her way over to him.  
  
"You're not cold, Tenchi?" She asked, looking at him with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Not really." He replied, which was the truth.  
  
"Too bad, Tenchi..." She whispered teasingly. "I know of some really...hmm...fun ways to warm up." She licked her lips and her eyes flashed. Tenchi backed up.  
  
"I'm fine, thanks anyway, Ryoko." He turned to walk, noticing the snow had started to stick to the ground. Ryoko sighed and followed his footsteps, admiring the man before her as she walked.  
  
"Where are you going, Tenchi?" She asked, noticing they were just making circles around the house. Tenchi laughed and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"I couldn't tell you, I'm just walking...going where my feet take me." He replied. Ryoko nodded.  
  
"Your feet aren't very adventurous, are they?" She frowned slightly, hoping to be alone with him.  
  
"I guess not..." He replied sheepishly, looking at the girl. "Ryoko...there's something I have to tell you."  
  
"Oh?" She looked at him, surprised. She hadn't expected him to do it this soon. Tenchi took a step over to her, but slipped on some ice and knocked her down, falling on top of her. "Oof!" She winced as her head hit the hard ground. Tenchi lay on top of her, not moving. She looked up to make sure he was still conscious, and to her surprise, he was...in fact, he was staring right into her golden eyes. Ryoko bit her lip, wanting to kiss him, but not wanting to ruin the moment. Tenchi just continued to stare, knowing he shouldn't, but doing it anyway. One thing he had to admit was that she had beautiful eyes, he thought to himself. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Tenchi groaned and pushed himself off of her, extending his hand to help the fallen girl up. Ryoko smiled a little bit and accepted the hand, which even after she was standing, she still held.  
  
"Ryoko...I..." Tenchi began, as their hands slowly separated. "I had a hard time choosing between you and Ayeka, you know...I adore you both, you're the perfect women."  
  
"So you've chosen, Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, her heart pounding. After that moment they just shared, Ryoko had a pretty good idea of who he had chosen.  
  
"Yes." He sighed and looked deeply into her eyes. "Ryoko...I...I want to spend the rest of my life with...." He paused.  
  
"..." Ryoko could barely contain her emotions. She knew deep down that he loved her, she just wanted to hear him say it for himself. Something she had always dreamt of.  
  
"Ayeka..." He finished. Ryoko didn't understand. That's not how her name is pronounced...in fact...that wasn't her name at all. Her heart fell like a lead balloon, her face hiding the immense pain that she was overcome with. "I'm sorry, Ryoko. I care about you a lot, but I just don't see myself spending eternity with you."  
  
"I understand..." Her voice came out shaky and soft. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled, Tenchi...go tell her the good news." She pat his back lightly, and turned away, trying to hide the tears as she disappeared. Tenchi had seen and felt horrible...but he knew he was doing what was best for him.  
  
***  
  
Sobs choked Ryoko as she let the tears fall freely now. All her emotions were mixed...she was heartbroken, angry, jealous, and she felt so weak. She wiped her eyes with the back of her fist as the tears continued to fall, non-stop. How? Why? When did Tenchi become so attatched to the Princess? Earthlings don't believe in incest, how is this possible? So many disturbing thoughts went through her head, bringing forth more tears and more sobs. Everything she lived for had just left her...all hope was gone, she felt useless. She looked up at the sky, it was still snowing. She sat on the edge of a large rock, letting the cold snow mix with her hot tears. The mixture felt pleasing, yet she felt empty. It wouldn't be anytime soon that the tears would stop falling.  
  
***  
  
Ayeka was a mess, she was pacing her room frantically, tears streaming down her face. Tenchi had chosen! Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs earlier, she had glanced out the window and saw Tenchi laying on Ryoko. She stared, unblinking until she couldn't bear it anymore and retreated back to her room to cry. She didn't know what to do now, she had be rejected...the second time in her life. Tenchi was just like Yosho...both of them had left the heartbroken Princess for the demon. Shaking with a mixture of emotions, the Princess remembered Washu's words. 'One of you will be deeply hurt, but I pray you don't do anything stupid to hurt yourself or Tenchi.'  
  
Hurting herself...hurting herself...that was the answer. She needed to ease the pain the only way she could think of. She got down on her knees, searching through all her things. She knew there was a knife in here somewhere...Sasami's lucky knife that the little girl treasured and kept in her room. There! Ayeka saw a shimmer of light and moved a few random objects aside to reveal a sharp blade. He reached in and grabbed the knife, holding it lightly in her delicate hands. She looked at it briefly, swallowing her pride and her fear. She raised the knife above her heart, tears still flowing down her rosy cheeks. But the knife never came down.  
  
She sighed slowly, sobbing afterward as she lowered the knife. She was a coward, unable to do such a simple task. She was a failure. She failed to get Yosho, to get Tenchi, to kill herself. Failure didn't come easily to the Princess, her thoughts were scrambled and her body shook.  
  
"Need some help?" A voice behind her startled her. Ayeka whipped around to meet the petite scientist, face to face.  
  
"W-W-Washu-s-san...." Ayeka's voice broke as she stared, shocked at the girl.  
  
"I can help you fake your death if you want...while you go elsewhere and rebuild your life?" Washu suggested rather calmly.  
  
"You'd do that for me?" Ayeka asked, looking at her through tear filled eyes.  
  
"Hai." The genius child lifted her index finger in the air. "Now, they are coming back to the house...if you want this to be a success, be a good girl and be quiet in my lab." And with that said, Ayeka disappeared with a small yelp. Washu grinned and got to work.  
  
***  
  
Mihoshi got up from the couch and climbed the stairs. She didn't know why, but she had an urge to go up there and investigate. She reached the last step and looked around, feeling something was out of place. She walked to Tenchi's door which was slid open a very tiny bit, Mihoshi slid it open even more and looked around. Nothing out of the ordinary...she closed the door tightly and moved on...next was her room. She peeked in real quickly and found nothing, closing the door, she moved onto Ayeka's room. She knew Ayeka had ran to her room earlier for some unknown reason, so Mihoshi knocked lightly on the door.  
  
"Ayeka? It's me...are you in there?" She said, knocking again. "Ayeka? Ayeka? I'm coming in..." The poor girl was not prepared for the sight that met her eyes, which widened in extreme shock. Her mouth hung open, twitching as if she were fighting for the words to say....finally, she let out a loud, blood curdling scream, which shook the house.  
  
***  
  
The scream echoed throughout the lab, causing the two girls in there to cover their ears. Washu and Ayeka had been discussing possible places to start a life over. Washu had suggested Kyoto or Nara, two beautiful spots in Japan that could make one forget about any troubles life gives them. Ayeka was thinking more along the lines of a busy place, Tokyo, perhaps.  
  
"They found you." Washu smirked after the scream erupted the lab.  
  
"Oh my...I feel so rotten, Washu-san." Ayeka said, pain still apparant in her eyes.  
  
"It'll be ok. You're doing what's best for you, that's all there is to it." The pink haired genius pat her back softly. "With time, you'll all be good as new."  
  
"I suppose you're right." Ayeka agreed, looking down at her hands, which carried a suitcase. "Now you're sure this is everything I need?"  
  
"Yes. You find an empty space, preferably a big space. Lay that down and open it, it's a portable apartment...you'll be all set in that for a few months until you get settled...then I need it back."  
  
"What do you mean by all set? I have housing, yes...but as for food and clothing..." Ayeka began.  
  
"It's all included." Washu waved her hand. "Food and clothing as much as you could ever need or want, for that matter. I really am a genius, aren't I?"  
  
"Erm.." Ayeka's eyebrow twitched a little as she forced a small smile. "Yes, of course you are..."  
  
"Now, on your way, little Ayeka." Washu pushed the girl onto a giant, red X and waved as she pushed a single button on one of her machines. She watched as Ayeka disappeared, gone to Tokyo...possibly forever.  
  
A.N. Ok...I know where this story is going, but I'm debating on whether or not to make it a Sailor Moon crossover. Ah well, I guess you'll just find out next time. :) 


	2. Starting Over

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Tenchi or any of the characters...  
  
To Tokyo - Part 2  
  
Ayeka looked at her surroundings, masses of people crowded the streets and sidewalks, making it impossible for her to make out much of anything. She slowly started to walk with the crowd, people constantly pushing her aside or bumping into her. She clenched her fists tightly around the handle of her suitcase, trying not to lose control and flip out on the civilians. Realizing that the only way she was actually going to get anywhere was to push through like the other people were doing, she gently pushed herself through the crowd, constantly apologizing and excusing herself. She may have been in the city now, but she still had her manners...something these people needed a bit more of.  
  
"Now where can I find an empty place in a city as busy as this?" She asked herself, taking a seat on a bench in some crowded park. She sighed and looked around. "Maybe there's some place here that's not so busy?" She questioned, not caring that she was talking to herself in public. She rested her feet a bit more before she continued her journey to find an ideal place to live.  
  
***  
  
Everyone in the household sat on the living room couch, some stared off into space while some sobbed. Ryoko had heard Mihoshi's scream from the spot she was in and came rushing back to the house, expecting anything but the present situation. Sasami cried on Tenchi's shoulder while the boy had tears falling down his own cheeks. Ryoko didn't like the mood too much, she felt like crying again, but for a completely different reason. Seeing Sasami so upset broke her heart, but her heart had just been broken earlier, making her feel no different than she had for most of the day.  
  
"It's all cleaned up." Washu walked into the living room slowly, a sad expression on her pale face. She laughed on the inside, she was great at everything she did, even acting. "I need to go to my lab for a while, so I'll be there if you need me." She turned and exited through her lab door, quietly closing it behind her. There was nothing but the sound of sobbing throughout the living room, something that depressed Ryoko a great deal.  
  
"I'll be out...somewhere..." She said quietly, floating up through the ceiling, making herself comfortable on the roof. She had so much to think about, everything in her life was a complete mess now. Tenchi had told her that she wasn't the one he chose, but the one he did choose had gone and offed herself. "Does that mean he'll choose me?" She asked herself, selfishly. She shook her head, she'd only be a replacement if that were the case. Second place. She was positive she could find someone who would love her, someone who wouldn't think of someone else everytime they gazed into her eyes. She clutched her chest as a sharp pain shot through her heart, and started to sweat despite the cold breeze and snow she was laying in.  
  
***  
  
After hours of searching, Ayeka finally found a place suitable for living in. A small place named Juuban District, where there weren't huge crowds of people like there were in the center of Tokyo. She looked at the empty space in between the buildings that she had planned to set up her apartment in and sighed. She wasn't used to being on her own, she couldn't cook for herself, the only thing she was really good at was cleaning. She took a few steps to the empty lot, but was knocked over by a tall man. The suitcase fell out of her hands and fell to the ground, instantly turning into an apartment. Ayeka pushed herself back and looked unbelievingly at the huge apartment in the middle of the sidewalk, a small sweatdrop rolling down her head.  
  
"Hello?" She called to the man who had bumped her down and had disappeared as the building appeared. "Are you ok?" There was no reply. Ayeka looked around the corner of the tall building and spotted a business shoe. The corner of her mouth twitched a little as she realized what happened to the man. "Ahh.....this is no good..." She sighed, walking up the steps to the door, twisting the knob and entering the apartment. She was sure Washu had told her there was a way to shrink this thing back to suitcase size, but she forgot where it was. She peered around for a bit, searching the whole house. She opened the closet door and sighed with relief when she spotted the button. Reaching over, she gently pushed it, causing an alarm to go off.  
  
"You have 15 seconds to evacuate. 15-14-13..." The house started talking. Ayeka didn't wait, she was out of the house before the countdown got down to 10. She backed away from it a bit, and waited for it to shrink. Finally, in a puff of smoke, the apartment was transformed back into a suitcase, which Ayeka casually picked up and place neatly in the center of the vacant spot she had chosen. She slowly opened it and watched it form into the same building it had been just moments earlier. The princess looked on the sidewalk only to see the lone shoe, there were no traces of the owner.  
  
"Maybe he escaped?" Ayeka shrugged and entered her new apartment, completely exhausted. She would go job hunting tomorrow, she decided. As for now, she needed to get some well deserved sleep. She made her way to the master bedroom which was furnished with an old canopy bed, a rocking chair, an oak nightstand, and 2 nicely curtained windows. The curtains were a maroon color, matching the light pink color of the sheets and canopy on the bed. "Not too shabby, Washu..." Ayeka said as she slid under the covers on the bed and closed her eyes.  
  
***  
  
Ryoko awoke shivering. She didn't remember falling asleep, in fact, she was sure that after the horrible day she had, she'd never be able to sleep again. She yawned and stretched her arms out, letting the sunlight warm her face. She looked down at her clothes, which were soaked from the snow she had been lying in. Her teeth chattered as she realized that despite the sun's presence, it was still quite cold outside. She hated the cold, she always had. Ever since her experience in the cave, cold had always made her feel frightened and alone. She laughed to herself. Even if it were nice and warm out, she'd still be alone. She'd always be alone, she lost the thing most dear to her.  
  
"Breakfast!!" She heard Washu's voice echo through the house. She wondered how everyone was doing, it must of been hard on them all, but mostly for Tenchi and Sasami. Floating up in the air, the demoness disposed of her wet clothes and settled for a nice pair of jeans and a sweater instead. Teleporting to the dining room, she got ready to face the morbid family. Sasami never showed up, she was probably still crying in her room, so Washu had done the cooking. Ryoko was the first one to the table, she sat uncomfortably until Mihoshi and Tenchi showed up. The four of them ate in silence, Mihoshi was still a bit shocked from her discovery. Ryoko looked at each of them and sighed silently. The house wouldn't be the same for a long, long time. She prayed that it would return to normal shortly, it just didn't feel right being so gloomy. She knew with time Mihoshi would be back to normal. 'I give her a day.' She chuckled silently to herself.  
  
***  
  
Weeks had passed and Ayeka now had a full time job as a cashier in a small drugstore. It wasn't much, but it was a start. She wasn't too pleased with having to deal with money other people have been touching. Especially when they handed her the dirty, crummy bills...she felt the need to sanatize her hands every few minutes, even if excessive washing wasn't good for them. Along with her new job, Ayeka had some new friends. Makoto, her tall, brunette friend worked at the drugstore with her. They hit if off right away, and had become best friends after sharing stories on late night shifts. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought of her old life, or about Tenchi. The thought of all that still hurt her very much, she prefered not to talk about it, much less think about it.  
  
"Too much sugar, Ayeka!" Makoto looked over the Princess' shoulder as she stirred up her batter. Makoto, baking genius, was teaching the helpless girl how to cook and bake. Ayeka growled, Sasami used to make cookies so easily, why did she have to have trouble with it?  
  
"What's wrong with a little extra sweetness?" Ayeka asked innocently, smiling at her friend. Makoto laughed.  
  
"Nothing I suppose, as long as it's only a little bit...not so much to where you can't even stir it properly." She looked at the bowl that Ayeka was struggling to stir and sweatdropped. Ayeka grinned sheepishly and handed the spoon to Makoto, who took it and stirred the batter with ease.  
  
"You know, Mako-chan...you're pretty strong." Ayeka observed. Makoto laughed again.  
  
"I get that a lot..." She smiled and added a few other ingredients to the mix to equal the amount of sugar Ayeka had put in. "But really, I'm just used to this kind of thing...I always end up fixing people's messes when they add too much ingredients. I suppose you just get accustomed to it after a while."  
  
"I see..." Ayeka didn't really know much about Makoto's personal life, she had seemed rather shy about introducing her other friends to the Princess. She had told her that her friends were people that she didn't want to get involved with. Looking at her now, Ayeka realized that maybe Makoto was in some kind of gang of something. 'Maybe it's best I don't get involved in her personal life.' She thought to herself.  
  
"And that's how it's done!" Makoto put the spoon down and licked her finger.  
  
"You're such a genius when it comes to baking, Mako-chan!" Ayeka smiled warmly at her friend, who blushed at the compliment.  
  
"You're not so bad yourself....for someone who has never baked before." She winked. Ayeka giggled, picking up the spoon and licking it. "Anyway, I have to go now...I have a meeting with some friends. I'd invite you, but you're going to be pretty busy with those cookies. Remember, 350 for about 25-30 minutes, or until they're golden brown!" She called over her shoulder as she left Ayeka's apartment.  
  
"Right..." Ayeka sighed, feeling abandoned.  
  
An hour later, the princess was eating the cookies she had made. Shocked at how delicious they were, she decided to save some for Makoto to try when she came over again.  
  
***  
  
"Ryoko, will you hand me that onion?" Sasami asked over her shoulder while slicing up some carrots.  
  
"Sure." Ryoko grabbed the onion and floated over to the little girl, handing it to her. Sasami thanked her and continued slicing, leaving Ryoko to finish washing off the counters. Ryoko had been helping out a lot since "the incident", but more as a favor and not by choice. The demoness was willing to do almost anything to keep the little girl's spirit up, so a few chores around the house were the least she could do.  
  
"How's dinner coming?" Tenchi entered the kitchen with a fresh batch of vegetables from the shed.  
  
"Great, Tenchi-niichan!" Sasami grinned. "Better now that I have the rest of the vegetables...Ryoko..?"  
  
"Yeah?" Ryoko looked over at the stack of fresh vegetables. "You want me to wash 'em for you?"  
  
"Could you, please?" The girl's pink eyes stared happily at her.  
  
"I guess I could..." Ryoko put the rag down and took all the vegetables and put them in the sink. As she washed them, she could feel Tenchi's eyes on her. It was always when she knew someone was watching her that she tried extra hard not to mess up...but that would be the only time she DID mess up. After successfully washing them, she took them out of the sink and put them all next to Sasami.  
  
"Watch out!!!" A scream could be heard from outside the kitchen window. The window broke a few seconds later, a large iceball flying through it and hitting Ryoko on the side of the head.  
  
"Oh no!! Ryoko-neechan!!!" Sasami dropped her knife on the counter and spun just in time to see her fall to her knees, holding her head in pain.  
  
"Ryoko, are you ok?" Tenchi ran to kneel beside her.  
  
"I'm fine." She forced a small grin, hiding the blood with her hand. "It's only a scratch."  
  
"Would you like a bandage?" Sasami asked, almost panicking.  
  
"Nah, I'm fine." She got up. "In fact, I think I'll go to the onsen for a bit." She disappeared.  
  
"That was weird..." Tenchi stared at the spot Ryoko had disappeared from.  
  
***  
  
Ryoko sat in the water and brought the cup of sake up to her lips, taking a huge sip. Her head was still bleeding slightly, but it didn't bother her. She didn't understand why Tenchi and Sasami had to get so worked up over such a little thing, it's not like an iceball could actually mortally wound her.  
  
"A band-aid...ha!" She said to herself, taking another sip. "What the hell was Mihoshi doing throwing iceballs at the house to begin with?" She hadn't expected anyone to answer, and wasn't surprised when no one did. "Ahh!" She dropped her sake as her head started pounding with pain. She held her head in both of her hands as it throbbed like someone was crushing it in their hands. Her teeth clenched as to not let out anymore helpless sounding yells, help was the last thing she had needed at the time. She lowered her hands as the pain started to ease, and picked up her sake cup, filling it to the brim and downing it.  
  
"It's going to be a long day..." She said, tossing aside her cup and taking a swig directly from the bottle.  
  
A.N. Boring chapter, I know....I'm getting things set up. I've never really done this kind of fic before, I favor Ryoko, but I'm trying something new, so don't kill me if it doesn't turn out the way you want....^_^ 


	3. Ryoko's Problem

Chapter 3 - Ryoko's Problem  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own, nor am I planning on EVER owning Tenchi Muyo.  
  
Sitting all alone in her apartment; depressed, Ayeka, with no one to talk to and nothing to do, was forced to think back on her life. It had been weeks since she last saw Tenchi and her family, she had never gone so long without contact before. She sighed, wishing there was something better she could do with her day off than sit and pity herself. Slowly, she raised herself out of her seat. A walk among the bustling streets of her new town might help ease the pain, she thought while going to the closet to get her jacket.  
  
No snow had fallen in the Juuban district, but it was still a bit chilly. Locking the door, Ayeka stepped out and closed it behind her, slowly decending the stairs while breathing in the "fresh" air around her. 'It was much better in Okayama...' She thought with a frown. She walked past various stores, looking in the windows at items that she neither needed, nor wanted. "That's ridiculous...who'd pay that much for a video game?" She said quietly to herself.  
  
"I would...depending on which game it was." A voice behind her startled her. She spun around, her face bright red. "Window shopping?" He asked, flashing a smile.  
  
"I...err...yeah...you could say that." She blushed, looking at her feet and feeling stupid for asking such a question out loud. "I was actually just going for a walk....I have no money on me." She said, just in case he planned to rob her or something.  
  
"Oh, well, that's nice, also. Mind if I join you?" He asked, looking at her while she watched her feet. She looked up at him with confusion apparent in her eyes. This was the first time she had actually gotten a good look at him and she blushed as she realized he was quite good looking. This hair was short, spiked up with some fresh smelling gel, his green eyes were almost hypnotizing as she stared into them. He towered above her, he had a good foot and a half on the petite princess, and he wore blue jeans with a sweatshirt and white, new-looking shoes.  
  
"Umm...well...I..." She stammered.  
  
"It's perfectly understandable if you don't feel comfortable...I could find some other pretty girl to walk with." He winked playfully, as Ayeka's eyes flashed.  
  
"I don't mind...I suppose the company would be nice." She finally said, wondering why it had bothered her to hear him talking about walking with another girl.  
  
"Akeru." He said as they walked together past some more shopping areas.  
  
"Huh?" She looked at him for a moment before realizing what he meant. "Oh! Nice to meet you, Akeru. I'm Ayeka, first pr---Umm..." She quickly bowed, blushing at her near slip of tongue at her own introduction.  
  
"Interesting..." Akeru noted. "What were you planning on saying after that?" He inquired, smiling slightly.  
  
"N..nothing." She looked up at him innocently, letting a small smile creep to her lips.  
  
"I don't know..." He looked at her questioningly, as if he would know the answer by simply staring at her.  
  
"Fine...you want to know what I said?" She asked, looking playfully at him. He nodded. "First person to reach that statue wins. Loser has to buy us both a crepe!" She said as she took off running toward the target. She grinned, her Jurian powers allowed her to increase her speed, so she knew she would win. Finally reaching the statue, she leaned over and huffed a bit, looking up to see how far behind she had left Akeru.  
  
"Took you long enough." A voice behind her said. She turned slowly, only to see Akeru leaning against the statue, not breathing heavy at all.  
  
"How did you--"  
  
"I took track all through high school. I was the fastest runner." He flashed his handsome smile.  
  
"Ah...you cheater." She pouted, reaching into her empty pockets.  
  
"But you have no money...so I'll gladly buy the crepes anyway, since you brought up such a wonderful idea." He said, taking off in the direction they had come from. Ayeka followed him, still dumbfounded by her loss. 'There's no way he could run that fast...' She thought silently as they approached the crepe stand.  
  
***  
  
"Ryoko...I'd like to see you in my lab for a minute." Washu walked past the girl who was resting on the couch, watching some American cartoon about a sponge.  
  
"Why for?" She asked, groaning.  
  
"Talk properly, my little Ryoko." Washu scolded. "And it's very important, I'll be up all night, come whenever."  
  
"Sure, sure." The demoness waved the scientist on and groaned again when she left. Ryoko had felt like shit all day, she couldn't get up without feeling dizzy and like she was going to puke. Realizing this, she remained on the couch for a few more hours, until Sasami came in to say goodnight to her.  
  
"Well, Ryoko, I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled, cheerily as she walked out of the room.  
  
"Night, kid..." Ryoko grumbled, sitting up. She felt her head falling and quickly put her hands up to it to support it. "Why the hell..." She started, getting up and walking to the lab. "Maybe Washu has some medication or something..."  
  
"Washu!!" Ryoko called, once inside the lab. "I have a question." She yelled.  
  
"It's about the sudden sickness, right?" Washu asked, appearing out of nowhere, typing on her holographic computer.  
  
"Well...yeah." Ryoko said. "I was wondering if you had any--"  
  
"There is nothing that I can give you to make it stop." Washu interrupted her. "I can, however, give you some pills to ease the pain up a bit."  
  
"Ok....how do I go about getting them?" Ryoko asked deperately.  
  
"Simple, my dear...give me a second." The pink haired girl finished typing and spun around, hopping off her hover pillow and walking to a large machine. She knelt down and opened a tiny compartment on the contraption, revealing a variety of chemicals. Ryoko watched curiously as her "mother" carefully picked out a few bottles and carried them over to a working bench. She carefully mixed all the chemicals she had selected together and poured it into a tray, which she placed in a machine that Ryoko had never seen before. Washu pushed a button and tapped her feet patiently until she heard a *ding*. Taking the tray out, she dumped it's contents into a small plastic bag and handed it to Ryoko.  
  
"Umm...thanks..." Ryoko took the bag, eye twitching slightly.  
  
"Take one of those ONCE a day...I don't care if you're in a ton of pain...never more than ONCE a day. Got it?" Washu instructed in a serious tone of voice.  
  
"Got it." Ryoko began to phase out when Washu's hand grabbed her arm.  
  
"You have no idea what's going on, do you?" She aked, looking at her daughter almost sadly. And then letting go, letting Ryoko disappear. Washu sighed and got back to work, but her mind was on her daughter.  
  
A.N. Yes, I know...short chapter for taking so long to come out with...Ah well, I've been busy. Gomen! I'll try to update sooner this time, promise! Please R&R! 


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